Urban Air Quality: Monitoring and Modelling, Reprinted from ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT, 52:1-2, 1998 Proceedings of the First International Conference on Urban Air Quality: Monitoring and Modelling University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, U.K. 11-12 July 1996

The increasing concern over environmental and health impact of urban air pollution has lead to a growing need for an international conference focussing specifically on urbanised regions. Although, air quality has gained importance through out the world, it is especially in areas of high urban development that the problems are particularly acute. Scientific interest in this field is particularly evident from the growing number of journal publications and conference presentations. The numerous conferences held every year on air pollution, however, have tended to encompass a broad theme and have not specifically focussed on the urban environment. In order to address this need an international conference on urban air quality was organised by the Environmental Physics Group of the Institute of Physics in collaboration with the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), The Royal Meteorological Society (RMS) and the National Society for Clean Air and Environmental Protection (NSCA). Over 100 participants from various countries attended this first international conference on urban air quality. The aim of the conference was to provide a forum for open scientific discussion on the latest advances in the field of urban air quality monitoring and modelling. The range of topics included: chemical and biogenic pollutants, monitoring techniques, instrumentation, analysis of pollutants, spatial and temporal interpretation of air quality data, emission sources and modelling of air quality. All papers submitted for publication were peer reviewed and consequently, some articles were not successful in the refereeing process and have not been included in this special issue.

Preface; R.S. Sokhi. PM10 Concentration Measurements in Dublin City; J. Keary, et al. A Passiver Sampler for Monitoring Urban Particulate: Preliminary Results; R.C. Brown, et al. PM10 Particulates in Relation to Other Atmospheric Pollutants; D. Muir. Diffusive Sampling of Volatile Organic Compounds in Ambient Air; V.M. Brown, D.R. Crump. Diffusive Sampling of VOCs as an Aid to Monitoring Urban Air Quality; M.D. Wright, et al. Temporal and Spatial Variations in Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations Across an Urban Landscape: Cambridge, UK; C. Kirby, et al. Air Quality and Monitoring Strategy in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Finland; K. Hämekoski, T. Koskentalo. On-Site Comparison of Canister and Solid-Sorbent Trap Collection of Highly Volatile Hydrocarbons in Ambient Atmospheres; A. Castellnou, et al. Measurement and Interpretation of Concentrations of Urban Atmospheric Organic Compounds; G. Jones, et al. Nitrogen Dioxide in the Workplace Environment; I. Colbeck. Biogenic Emissions by Oak Trees Common to Mediterranean Ecosystems; V. Simon, et al. Near-Infrared Diode Laser Air Monitoring; R.J. Holdsworth, P.A. Martin. Analysis of Urban Atmospheric Pollution Data in the Bologna Area; G. Clai, et al. The Relationship Between Extreme Nitrogen Oxide (NO£Y/Y£) Concentrations in Dublin's Atmosphere and Meteorological Conditions; C. Delaney, P. Dowding. Air Quality Effectiveness of Traffic Management Schemes: UK and European Case Studies; H. Crabbe, D.M. Elsom. Air-Quality Prognosis, for the Implementation of Abatement Strategies over Large Urban Areas; A.N. Skouloudis, et al. Accurate Ozone Prognostic Patterns for Madrid Area by Using a High Spatial and Temporal Eulerian Photochemical Model; R. San José, et al.Treatment of Urban Areas within a Regional Transport Model of Sulphur and Nitrogen Oxides; E. Murphy-Klimova, et al. Multi-Scale Atmospheric Dispersion Modelling by Use of Adaptive Gridding Techniques; G. Hart, et al. Simulation of Pollution Dispersion Using Small Scale Physical Models &endash; an Assessment of Scaling Options; E.D. Obasaju, A.G. Robins. Validation of a Street Canyon Model in Two Cities; A.T. Buckland. A Simple Model of Pollutant Concentrations in a Street Canyon; A.A. Hassan, J.M. Crowther. Modelling of Fluid Flow and Pollutant Dispersion in a Street Canyon; A.A. Hassan, J.M. Crowther. Flow Field and Pollution Dispersion in a Central London Street; C.M. Ní Riain, et al. A New Box Model to Forecast Urban Air Quality: Boxurb; D.R. Middleton. The Adequacy of the Execution and Presentation of a Selection of the Recent Air Quality Modelling Assessments within the UK; T. Stebbings, et al.